Half a Life
by Shizumu
Summary: A beginning of sorts


Sometimes waking up can be one of the most glorious things in the world. Other times I think I've preferred to ignore the whole thing and roll back over. Pretend the whole thing never happened. Today I'd classify waking up as one of my better days. Then again you tend to cherish the things you haven't seen in a relatively long time. It's nice to finally wake up for a change. One hundred years, give or take a decade or two, is a long time to wait. You see back then I made one mistake too many and acquired the enmity of the ruler of the area I was in. needless to say even a being like myself can be subdued if there are enough people trying. I was caught, hung, stabbed repeatedly, burned at the stake, drawn and quartered and left for dead. I just now pulled myself back together. It's amazing how much something like that can hurt. I wouldn't recommend anyone else to try it. It's made me a little bit hungry though. Maybe that jogger coming my way can help me out.  
  
"Could you spare a few gallons of blood to help a fellow out?"  
  
It's amusing at times, they always seem to run away after that comment, but I wish they would quit screaming so much. Every bloody time, excuse the pun; you'd think there was a way to tone down the natural fear my kind exudes.  
  
She had glossy black hair and an athletic figure, probably exercised often to keep that figure too. At least I assume so, that's how we managed to meet. Last time I was up and about, young girls didn't go far from home without an escort. Well there were certain types of girl's who did, but this one was a virgin, I could smell it. At this point blood was blood, who cares if it was different than typical? Besides I never really cared for the taste one way or another. Hold on a second if you would, I have to go catch my dinner. After a century of literally being in pieces you tend to ramble on after awhile if only just to hear your own voice again. Oh, yes blood, mustn't forget that. I'll thank her, I think, by letting her die in peace. It's the least I can do for the gift she "gave" to me. Although I'm still wondering why she was muttering something about "perverts" as she died. It seemed a bit odd to me, but I ignored it as well as I could.  
  
"Akane!"  
  
I turned at the sound of that shout, to regard a boy in his mid to late teens. I guess he must have known the girl. I wonder if I should feel sorry for him or not, hopefully she wasn't too close to him. Oh well, if she was close to him I hope he gets over her quickly.  
  
I suppose now I should find out where I am and try and see what I can do about my situation. Its good to be back in one piece again!  
  
"You…killed her?"  
  
…Right, him again, I don't suppose I could just ignore him? I'm not really in the mood to deal with a mortal on some foolish revenge kick. Last time anyone was able to hurt me it took the good portion of an army to slow me down. Enough of the past though, I'll just have to not make the same mistake again. I wonder, is he expecting an answer?  
  
"Well, I did ask her first."  
  
"You killed her!"  
  
"I don't think I've denied that as of yet."  
  
I hate repeating myself, is the kid that dumb that he didn't understand me the first time? Maybe he has a hard time accepting reality. I wonder if there are a lot of people this day and age who have similar problems. Odd, he hit me. I wonder where I need to go to find out where I am. Nothing here seems to be of any help, I think it's a residential area of some sort. Wait, he hit me again! So much for hoping the first time was a fluke. I suppose I'll have to deal with this.  
  
"Die bastard!"  
  
The boy is being quite inconsiderate. I mean he's a little too young to be married, and I doubt he really loved the girl that much. Is it really something to get so worked up about? Anyway, this is getting slightly annoying, and now the kid is glowing… that could be bad.  
  
"Actually my mother was quite respectable, but I doubt you would care."  
  
I suppose I should dodge this… whatever it is. Leaning to the side, I would have forgotten all about the glowing ball of matter all together after that. However, having the building behind me almost collapse was not something I expected. This boy is proving to be slightly more than the insignificant problem I thought he was. I can't treat this matter as casually as I usually do, although now that I think about it the kid will make a good addition to my family.  
  
As strong and fast as he might be, the kid never expected what I am about to do next.  
  
I guess he's never had much experience with vampires. Then again who usually lives long enough to become experienced?  
  
I'm going to need some place to put his body while the changes take place. I suppose I should also take care of the girl. I started chanting a small short spell and held out my hand. Within a few seconds a red flickering softball sized translucent orb bursts into existence in my hand. Lazily I toss it towards the body and wait while the spell consumes the remains. Soon nothing is left, and satisfied with my handiwork I walk over to collect the comatose kid.  
  
**********  
  
Consciousness slowly climbed its way through the muddy layers of random thoughts. Very slowly Ranma opened one eye, then the other. Darkness surrounded him only broken by a random beam of light here or there. Unnatural and slightly eerie, they seemed to cast more shadows than that which the light revealed. After a moment of lying there looking upwards at the inky blackness above, he slid out of bed, trying to grasp some idea of where he was and how he had gotten there.  
  
"Good morning, or evening, whichever you prefer."  
  
"W…who are you," Ranma shouted looking around trying to determine the direction of the voice. "And where am I?"  
  
"Must you ask such pointless questions?" replied the voice. "You know who I am."  
  
A burst of sunlight bright scarlet lanced through Ranma's head. The pain was so intense he fell to his knees grasping his head with both hands, and arched his back almost ninety degrees. A seeming less never ending moment of pure primal agonizing pain, and then everything was as before as if nothing had ever happened. Not quite a scream, but neither something as quiet as a groan escaped Ranma's lips as he then slumped over and laid there taking great big shuddering gasps of breath.  
  
"W…what have you done to me?" Ranma asked, and not more than a heartbeat later he moaned a name. "Akane…"  
  
"I have need of you"  
  
A brilliant blue laser-like beam burst through his head, and it was all he could do not to faint from the intensity.  
  
"Come, my son, we have more pressing things to do than waste more time here."  
  
Ranma slowly rose to his feet and turned slightly to his left.  
  
"Yes…father."  
  
He looked around and then at the voice. Where everything was once utter darkness stabbed only here or there with beams of man made light, was now easily seen and in high amounts of detail. Looking up above Ranma could see the rust colored girders holding the roof in place. He swore he could almost feel the metal in each beam, as if he was steel himself. Each florescent light, while not any brighter than before, seemed as if another glowing aura of energy surrounded it in addition to the radiance of the filament inside the bulb. Everything seemed more than what it was, and he was everything. He was the light, the steel girder, the concrete floor, the wooden boxes piled upon each other in vast rows, everything but the cloaked man in front of him.  
  
"Lead me to your home Ranma, we will stay there for the time being."  
  
"Follow me pops," he grinned as he started to run towards the exit of the warehouse. "Try to keep up"  
  
The cloaked man's form shrank almost two feet, gaining in certain area's and in others losing. Just before the figure took off after the boy, a lock of ebony black hair escaped it's covering and slowly cascaded downward. 


End file.
